>What are "basics" that one should go back to? There are >differing opinions about that. I would like to say that >intellectual honesty is one of the basics we need to >move toward. Also, we might look toward the >demilitarization of our schools, and the exiling of >DARPA and highpowered military recruitment, unless we >explain to the students exactly what is going on, and >the dangers of entering the military, such as exiting >with a much higher than average suicidal tendencies, etc.

My thanks to Peter Duveen for making my point, viz, the troubles of American public education have very little to do with curricula, textbooks, and pedagogy, and a whole lot to do with politics.

So, Mr. Peter Duveen, a New York (city?) teacher, advertises himself as an "educator and writer". When exploring the question, "What are the 'basics'?"---in a cybernetic forum on math education---instantly his thoughts turn to things political, with nary a word on things mathematical.

Peter, at least one person in this forum is not surprised. It has been apparent for many years that the Education Mafia have a great many things on their minds, not including math education. Truly, it is no wonder that math education in this country has collapsed.